Plastic Pollution – How is Aveda Helping?

Plastic is everywhere. From the kids toys to sandwich packaging, from toothbrushes to chairs. Around in big use since the 1950s, it’s cheap to manufacture, lightweight and durable and the world is undeniably addicted.

In America, 1,500 plastic bottles are thrown away every single second. Over 38 billion water bottles (the equivalent of 912 million gallons of oil) go to landfill each year. The plastics industry shows no sign of slowing, producing over 381 million tonnes of plastic in 2018 with up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year.

This addiction comes at a high price. Human plastic waste is suffocating our oceans and killing wild life, with species from whales to turtles to sea birds struggling to tell the difference between food and plastic and ingesting unimaginable amounts. Microplastics (plastic particles less than 5mm in size) have ended up all over the world from inside marine life to within Himalayan salt we grind on to our dinner.

Shockingly 91% of plastic is not recycled.

So aren’t Aveda contributing to this problem with their hair and skincare products?

One of the reasons we love working for Aveda, is their mission statement “To care for the world we live in”. They believe that environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with profit and have been leading the way since 1978. Founder Horst Rechelbacher was wholeheartedly devoted to honouring the belief that ‘being beautiful meant leading a beautiful life’.

Aveda mission statement since 1978

Aveda was the first beauty company to use 100% PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) PET plastic with over 85% of skin and hair care products being contained in 100% post consumer recycled materials. Their packaging can be recycled in almost every case. Renewable energy is used to manufacture and fill packaging in the Aveda Minnesota Global HQ.

Aveda are also the first beauty company to combine PCR and Bioplastic in a plastic tube where 100% PCR is not available. The Bioplastic is 96% plant derived (sugarcane) and 4% petrochemical, with Bagasse, a fibrous byproduct that remains after sugarcane stalks are crushed for sugar production, used as a fuel to produce ethanol (a main ingredient used to produce polyethylene). Because bioplastic is chemically identical to ordinary polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE), it can also be recycled just like plastic.

Aveda uses plastic saving initiatives

Aveda also works alongside the ‘Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute‘ (C2C) and have been since 2002. Their key concepts include:

Materials used in products being able to safely return to the environment with packaging that can be continually recycled.

Renewable energy in any form is chosen over other energy, particularly wind power.

C2C also encourages the development of products from diverse plant derived ingredients that are produced or collected by traditional or indigenous people, who serve as protectors of biodiversity.

So Aveda are fully conscious about their environmental goals for plastic waste and continue to develop their packaging towards a sustainable future. By 2020, Aveda are fully poised and ready to be using only 100% non-virgin plastic in all production. So when you buy Aveda, buy with confidence you are making the ethical choice. All ranges of hair care and styling, skin care and makeup products are available in Mary Ann Weeks Aveda Guildford or Walton Lifestyle salons.